This invention pertains to a hair dryer employing a radiator made of a ceramic adapted when heated to radiate far-infrared radiation.
Conventionally, a hair dryer employs a heating wire, such as a nickel-chromium (Nixe2x80x94Cr) wire, and relies upon heat convection only to dry a user""s hair.
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,677 (from International Application No. PCT/KR99/00336) it has been known for a hair dryer to employ a heater radiating far-infrared radiation. As exemplified therein, the heater radiating far-infrared radiation is a halogen heater, which comprises a heating wire within a gas-filled, quartz tube. Such a hair dryer employs far-infrared radiation as well as heat convection to dry a user""s hair.
Certain ceramics containing silica oxide (SiO2) and aluminum oxide (AL2O2) are known to radiate far-infrared radiation when heated. In some publications, because of biological and physiological effects attributed to farinfrared radiation by researchers in Japan, Korea, and elsewhere, such ceramics that radiate far-infrared radiation are called bio-ceramics. Also, in some publications, far-infrared radiation is called by a xe2x80x9cFIRxe2x80x9d acronym.
Hereinbefore and hereinafter, although far-infrared radiation refers to a much wider range in astronomy and astrophysics, far-infrared radiation refers to electromagnetic radiation having a wave length in a range from approximately five microns to approximately fifteen microns.
This invention provides a hair dryer employing a radiator made of a ceramic, such as a bio-ceramic, which is adapted when heated to radiate farinfrared radiation. A ceramic suitable for the radiator is available commercially from Tae Yang Ind. Co. of Majungong 87-1, Sugu, Inchon, Korea, under its CELAMINE trademark.
The hair dryer comprises an elongate body, which has an inlet end defining an inlet and an outlet end defining an outlet. The hair dryer further comprises a fan, which is adapted when driven to draw air into the inlet, to move air through the elongate body, and to blow air from the outlet, and an electrical motor, which is adapted when energized to drive the fan. The hair dryer further comprises an electrical heater, which is mounted within the elongate body, between the fan and the outlet.
This invention contemplates that the ceramic radiator is mounted to the elongate body, at or near the outlet end, so as to be radiantly heated by the electrical heater when energized and so as to be additionally heated by air being moved through the elongate body by the fan when the electrical motor is energized and being heated by the electrical heater when the electrical heater is energized.
Preferably, the elongate body, at or near the outlet end, and the ceramic radiator have respective formations, which enable the ceramic radiator to be snapfitted onto the elongate body, at or near the outlet end. In a preferred embodiment, such formations enable the ceramic radiator to be snap fitted onto the elongate body, at or near the outlet end, within the outlet. Preferably, the electric heater is configured as a grille having plural apertures, through which air can flow when moved through the elongate body by the fan when energized.
For a discussion of certain effects attributed to far-infrared radiation, particularly in a context of a hair dryer, the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,677, supra, is incorporated herein by reference.